


Into The Vortex

by Potato_Chan_For_Hope



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Copious Strong Language, Drama, For Want of a Nail, Gen, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Murder, Victoria Has A Slightly Stronger Moral Fibre, what you are in the dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 05:43:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13093614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potato_Chan_For_Hope/pseuds/Potato_Chan_For_Hope
Summary: An early delivery causes Victoria to decide to skip the party of October 4th, thinking little of her lack of presence, from this decision events quickly begin the spiral away from the timeline we are used too as the reality of that night is revealed in a drunken call and a moral choice is given not to the most moral person.





	Into The Vortex

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story back in the interim between Episode 4 & 5, with the mystery still strong I hoped to finish a short few thousand word story about Victoria and that video of Kate, a ‚what if‘ to do with if she realised that the Kate she was seeing was not the Kate she knew. However by the time five came out, I had written my few thousand words but was no closer to an ending. This finished product is the result of me adding to it bit by bit since then, with it finally come to a conclusion I am happy with the ending I had created even if it took a little longer to finish that I thought it would. 
> 
> Now with Victoria, I tried to balance the idea of her being supportive while keeping her inner asshole and insecurities, the result is something that is not dramatically realistic and doubtful that in such a situation Victoria would act in such a decivisive fashion. A part of that character is language and views, of which Victoria mentions in regard to Kate Marsh’s drugging and the rape culture that surrounds it, I don’t agree with the opinion I gave her and I am slightly unsure if she would agree with stance I gave her, though from her actions in the game and her familiar background even in the liberal art-world of Seattle, would gain a view on the subject similar to what I gave her and I felt that if I was going to base a story around this event it would be wrong to give a stance they do not hold and hope the reader would understand and be able to seperate the views of the character and the author.
> 
> That goes with a few of the plot points that I’ve used, requiring some amount of artistic liscence and lack of a practical american experience to be truly accurate. However this is fiction and fanfiction in general, if I can’t use some artistic liscence now and again what is the point.
> 
> Regardless of it all, it is done and I hope you enjoy it in any case and if you have any critisiscm of comments, feel free to add. Also for old times sake, I don’t own Life is Strange.

Wednesday, 4th October 2013 – Night of the Vortex Club October Bash, 4:35pm

It's the first major Vortex Club party of the year and I do not feel like it. Me. Victoria. Fucking. Chase. Queen of Blackwell doesn't feel like going to her own party. What a joke, but it's not my fault for having frankly a shit-tacular day.

It started with some asshole decided to leave the tap on while I was in the shower, the shot of cold water scared me shitless, it woke me up but the moment I find the punk who pulled that shit I will rip their still beating heart from their chest and feed it too them. At least today I have photography, yet in class Mr. Jefferson spent the entire time fawning over Maxine Caulfield the school's resident hipster, barely giving me more than a brief notice all because of that twee artist crap she fronts. Once everyone left I had barely started to move on him to get at least some one on one time before he asks _"If I have work to do?"_ and how _"I'm incredibly busy preparing for the upcoming competition, Victoria",_ leaving me in the lurch. The cherry on this shit day being the bird that decided the best place to drop it’s load was onto my new cashmere shirt, walking back to my room I was lucky not to have gotten caught with it drying on me, I can’t think of anything worse than the traction that would get around school. Well maybe a second bird, but I doubt the world hates me that much.

There is one silver lining for today however.

The supreme collector's edition arrived while I was in class despite not coming out officially for another three days, containing director, producer and cast commentary, cut scenes, storyboard art and even the Comiket panel they did with english subtitles. No self-respecting fan would not own a copy, now all I am waiting for is my glow in the dark figurine.

So this is the question I am forced to answer, do I skip the party to watch anime instead.

...

...

...

Yes.

The planning is all done and Nathan is paying for the entire thing so he can deal with it, I'll send Courtney and Taylor a text saying I'm feeling ill and don't think I can make it to tonight's party . I'll add a bit at the end saying it's because I don't want them to get ill from me, they'll appreciate my consideration to blowing them off. I'll miss a couple of scandals but they'll be minor affairs, usually of the X made out with Y despite going out with Z variety or someone will reveal a world breaking secret that's neither world breaking or a secret though a friendship will be ruined for the entire five minutes it'll take to explain what happened and they'll be crying and telling each other how important they are to each other.

Instead I'm going to quickly drive into town, grab some snacks and soft drinks. Get a takeaway from the chinese and then lock myself away for all two seasons and a movie, no interruptions, just me and classic anime.

It’s not like anything important is going to happen tonight anyway.

 

Thursday 5th October 2013 – The Morning After the Vortex Club October Bash, 7:15am

The morning light streaming through my window is beautiful. Well it would be if it didn't wake me up at some barely a thing time is the morning. Grabbing my phone lying on the table I realise I fell asleep on the couch, I must have done it somepoint through season... two? I think, I'm still asleep and my phone has a billion notifications.

It takes only a quick glance to notice how most of them are unimportant but one of them stands out, a video of Kate Marsh on the Vortex Club page. Clicking play I can't believe what I am watching, Kate Jesus Marsh, abstinence supporting chastity goody two shoes is sat on a couch making out with all comers at the party. Welp, something did happen. It's not every day you find out a saint is actually a hypocrite once she has a few drinks. The entire thing is seven minutes long as well, that's the most impressive part. Skipping ahead at 30 seconds a piece it just keeps continuing until the end. I'm in tears of laughter by the end of it. I quickly share it making sure everyone can see the glory that is this video.

It takes a few minutes to recover but when I do I look on my missed calls, one from Taylor, two from Courtney around 2am. Must be calling about Kate and strangely enough I have a voicemail from Nathan at the same time.

I tap the message and put the phone to my ear.

The sound of the party is echoing in the background music is playing full blast, "TORI!!!", Nathan's shout comes out of fucking nowhere and stings like a bitch for a couple of seconds.

"Where the fuck are you, this party is fucking awesome and your missing the star of the fucking show. Kate Jesus Marsh is sat on a couch taking all fucking comers. Seriously I wouldn't think she had it in her if I hadn't decided to spice up her drink, you won't believe the effect a couple of roaches have in someones drink till you give it to her.". What? This can't be right. Nathan did not just say that? It must be a joke? He can't have seriously drugged someone?

He goes silent for a minute and the party get's louder and I hear people laughing and calling names. It would be nonsensical if it wasn't for the earlier video giving more context.

"This batch is off the fucking chain, seriously first Rachel Amber's slut girlfiend Chloe wahattever her fucking surname is and now Kate Jesus Marsh. We need to get together at some point and do the same to that hipster you're always going on about." If he was saying something more I can't understand he's starting laughing his ass off like this is something that is funny and can be joked about. I've given up believing he is joking and have begun taking this at face value, in that Nathan Presscott, heir to the Presscott fortune has just drugged a girl and a party and from what I saw let her get sexually assaulted by a group of drunk high schoolers. And he's happy about it all. Like she deserved it all for some reason and the fact that he is gloating to me, that's what he is doing gloating to me about it all like it's something to be proud of makes me sick.

"Nathan bro, have you seen this?". Hayden's voice enter's into the call. I had hoped someone heard what Nathan said before and intervened, though with this I severely doubt it.

"Yeah, It seems Marsh is a different person when she starts drinking". The response was like listening to a different person, he sounded like the Nathan I know and grew up with, "I wonder how many she's had to cause her to end up like this".

"Can’t believe you missed this Tori, talk more tomorrow".

He hangs up the phone. The room is suddenly silent. All I can hear is the birds chirping outside the window. I quickly make sure to save the voicemail onto my phone, I don't want to lose it, at this point it is my only proof of what happened.

The worst part of it all is that can recall every word he said clear as day but it doesn't help it feel more real. I feel sick , that's what I feel. I may not be a fan of Kate Marsh, and you could easily claim that I that I bully her and you wouldn't be wrong, but my torments only go so far, at least I believe they do and she has Max and her own group of friends so it's not like she's alone. It's just the way things are.

But there are certain things you do not do. Things that no matter the situation are so unthinkably heinous that to even contemplate it is bad enough, let alone doing it and feeling proud of the fact.

If I hadn't found out what I know now, regardless of whether it's right or not I would have probably spent the next few weeks tormenting her over that video, drilling it in to her is several ways how she was a slut and a whore and enjoying every second of it. That was when I thought that she had went to a party, willingly gotten herself drunk and willingly in that state got off with half the football team. Willing, is the key word, it was her choice and her fault and she can deal with the consequences of her actions, not everyone can turn back time to reverse bad decisions.

But now it is different, this isn't some drunk mistake, it's sexual assault. It's a horrific crime that no-one deserves, I don't care who you are you don't deserve this. I cannot describe the rage I feel right now, how dare he? How FUCKING dare he do this then joke around like it's some funny prank that he can tell his friends about how hilarious it was when he drugged a girl at a party then sexually assaulted her.

And what if Kate hadn't decided to go to the party, instead stayed in a room and watched a film. Would Nathan leave it alone? What if he decided to target Taylor? Or Courtney? What if I had turned up and it was me he went after?

She was being attacked while I sat in my room watching Anime. I can only hope there is an alternate me in an alternate reality who stopped it from happening. But that is not this reality and I can't think of what if's, only what has happened.

So I watch the video again.

I don't know why, but I feel like I have too. See if it helps me make sense of it all

It's clear as daylight now that I know what too look for. Kate is sluggish, barely awake as she is moved around like some kind of doll. Her eyes are barely open and at times she looks like she isn't even conscious. A quarter full glass of red wine sits on the table in front of her. Worst of all, Nathan Prescott is standing there looking on like the cat that ate the canary.

I'm crying before I realise it. Just watching everyone stand enjoying this. Partaking in this and I'm just getting angrier as the video goes on, it’s several watches later before I can tear myself away from the video. It’s contents burnt into my retinas, removing the video immediately from my page, the multitudes of likes and comments it's recieved can go fuck themselves. Same with the one in the Vortex Club's page. This shit will not stand while I'm around.

Throwing my phone onto the bed I grab my towel and toiletries, shower first, then damage control.

I'm barely out my room before I notice it. I realise I never thought about what happened after the video ended and I start beginning to think I should.

As resting against her door is Kate Marsh sleeping peacefully with not a care in the world.

Her outfit is a mess, her shoulder is exposed with several rough marks on it, the hair she keeps normally in a nice bun is everywhere. She looks horrible and beautiful at the same time, even though she looks like she's been through the wars.

I want to wake her, but I can't not right now, she looks so peaceful and I don't want to ruin it for her, she won't enjoy it when she wakes up.

Putting my toiletries on the floor I wrap my arms under her and begin carrying her into my room, she can sleep in my bed for now, I can call the school nurse when I get back so she can check to see if she's okay.

The strangest thing about having her in my arms is just how light she is, I'm not the strongest person but even so I have no problem carrying around. She seems to like being in my arms as well, I doubt it if she knew who's arms she was in so I let her nuzzle her head into my shoulder despite how ni... awkward it makes me feel. If someone walked out now they'll be shocked at what they're seeing.

I wouldn‘t care if they did though now that the thought crosses my mind, as if this is normal for Blackwell.

I shut the door to my room with my foot, it closes with a definitive click. Walking to my bed I move the covers and lay Marsh down on the bed, as I try to detach myself from her she clamps her arms around me, mewling in distate.

I smile without thinking at the cute little frown she has on her face.

A minute passes before I can finally detach myself from her, she fights all the way despite how unconscious she might be, I wonder who she thinks it might be for her to hold on for dear life and be dissapointed when they're gone. Likely a parent or a sibling, I think she has a few sisters, I know she has at least one I heard her talk to Max about in Photography.

I don't want to leave her alone, but I feel I can leave her for ten minutes while I go for a shower, let her sleep. Hopefully she won't wake up while I'm gone, I want to hold off on explaining until I know exactly what to say.

 

October Thursday 5th October 2013 – The Morning the Fan needed to be Cleaned - 08:02am

This was bad.

I was standing in my door frame wearing only a pair of towels still dripping water from the shower, I would have got dressed in the showerroom like I normally do but I thought against it, I didn't know when Kate would wake and wasn't going to wait.

Maybe I should have.

Because she was sat in my bed staring at me like a deer in headlights, terrified out of her wits and wondering whether fight or flight was the best response she could take.

I had the same response as her.

I knew I should move, cover myself up in my robe and begin to explain what is going on. Instead I just stood there staring back at her.

My brain manages to catch up with the situation at hand, closing the door quickly I take a deep breath. Walking quickly to my wardrobe, turning to face Kate, _"Would you mind looking away for a minute?"_

My words seem to knock some sense into her, she goes bright red like a plum diving under the covers faster than I thought she could in her state.

I trust her christian values to not stare as I get dressed, I should probably feel more self conscious getting changed in front of her regardless of whether she is looking at me or not, but I strangely don't.

I turn around fully dressed and look at the mound of covers that is Kate Marsh, looks like she was polite enough not to look. _"You can look now, it's safe"_.

She's unsure at first but she eventually sticks her head out from underneath the blankets and you can tell not only is she confused, but she is too shy and polite to ask what is going on. This going to be painful I can tell.

I take a heavy sigh. Looking directly at her with grim determination I prepare from the worst.

_"Last night you went to the Vortex Club party, right?"_. Let's start simple.

_"Yes?"_ She sounds as a terriefied as she looks, barely getting out the yes. My rage must be showing, and she must think it's directed at her as she suddenly becomes much more talkative. _"I'msorry... Ijust... Ididn't... Danasaid... Ithought... Iwon'tcomeagain, Ipromise"_ She manages to get out barely breathing, from what I could understand she thought this was for something entirely different. That and when she haphazardly rushes out of my bed, unfortunately she puts more effort into running away than looking where she puts her feet and goes flying face first into the floor.

It would be funny if it didn’t end with a broken girl weeping on the floor, I’m glad that part of the brain fails to function like it knows you‘re not to laugh and goes on strike in protest. If it hadn‘t it would have made this far worse for her, seeing me laughing at her on what may be one of the worst days of her life.

I quickly rush, grabbing a box of tissues from my cupboard, helping her up and leading her to my couch. Placing her down carefully and offering her some kleenex while I rub her back softly.

_"Shhhh, it'll be okay"_ I say with as much conviction as I can muster.

It takes a couple of minutes but her sobs calm down as she clings to me.

_"So were you at the party last night?"_ I ask again, the previous response was a mess of words and apologies.

_"Yes"_ she is a little unsure at first, looking at me in case she doesn’t has permission to speak, I give a small smile and a nod and she continues where she left off,  _"Dana said it would be good for me to come out too at least one of them, that's okay right?"_

_"Of course it is, now what do you remember from last night?"_ , let the interogation begin.

She pauses, her face scruching up in deep thought. _"I got there at around 10... no, 11 o'clock. I didn't see anyone I knew so I walked about for a bit then Nathan saw me, I thought he was going to get annoyed and kick me out at first but he just smile and gave me a glass of wine and told me to enjoy it"_.

_"Then... then I don't remember anything, it's just a blur, why don't I remember? I started drinking then..."_. Then she begins panicking, her heart rate increases and her hands scrunch up, under her breath I can hear her repeating what happened over and over as if it will help jog something from last night. _"Why can't I remember anything?"_. She was getting more and more hysterical and you can hardly blame her.

_"You were drugged"_ , I can't stand to look at her when I say it, focusing my attention on blank corner of the wall, starring intently at bits of cracked paint and a spiders web that I hadn't noticed growing in the top end, it doesn't help me ignore the sobs from Kate who has given up any semblence of diginity and is wail loudly into and already well used ball of tissues.

I hand her some more from a quickly emptying box, rubbing her back gently, _"the drink Nathan gave you was spiked"_.

_"Did anything happen?"_ I'm surprised she manages to ask me and I wonder if I should lie to her for now, give her some hope even if it is fake and only temporary.

When she looks at me with bloodshot eyes, crying like her grandma's died and only a small glint of hope for better days in her face I find the idea of a little fib the cushion the blow a good idea. It would be so simple, one word, "No", and Kate will smile and she'll cry tears of joy instead of sadness. But then all I can think of is when she finds out the truth, it's worse somehow, the flash of light made the darkness so much worse than before.

_"Yes"_

_"You spent most of the night making out with the football team apparantly"_ I continue, _"Someone recorded it all and uploaded onto the internet, though I took it down it may be up again soon"_.

" _Why?_ "

" _I don't know_ ". I hold her closer. I don't know why someone would do this, but I'm going to find out. I'm going to use all my influence to destroy Nathan Prescott like he did the same to Kate Marsh. He's not the only one with money and as popular as he is, he doesn't know the game like I do, I will play Blackwell like a fiddle and he won't know what happened before everyone is turned against him.

You gain a focus on things when an event like this happens. And as Kate cries into me, my plan forms. I list the players and think of how to use them to my advantage, the cliques connections to those I can influence and the independants.

" _Do you have Max's number?_ ", I ask Kate, I'll need the hipster if this is going to work.

She points to her bag left by my bed. Detaching myself from her I grab it, the password she tells me strange enough is a simple 1128. Finding her contacts I input Max's number into my phone.

I look at the time, 08:29am.

I turn my laptop on, logging in to my account on Facebook, the Vortex Club page has another Kate video uploaded onto it. That was surprisingly fast, not going to stop me, I remove it like I did the last.

Now comes an official decree from the Queen.

"To all students who are member's of the Vortex Club and to non-members who attended last night's 'October Bash', it has regretfully come to my attention that one of our non-members who were invited to this event has been drugged and sexually assaulted during this event. Not only is this a disgrace to the Vortex Club name and the Blackwell name,  but to each and every single one of us who stood by and willfully let such a travesty occur while we did nothing. The culprit of this crime is unknown, but if you saw anyone acting suspicously around 'Kate Marsh', handing her anything like a drink will be appreciated the sooner we can find them the better.

While some of you may look at this then and think nothing of this, think it's a funny story that will go away, it is not. To all the girls who attended this, look at the victim, that could have easily been you, watch the video if you can find it for you will not find it here and watch it closely, imagine instead of her it was you been tossed around like a side salad. To all the boys who attended this, imagine if that was your girlfriend there, you could say you would rush in and save her, so would your friends, but you aren't there and those friends didn't act when something was up .They would call her a whore and tell you that you could do better, and from it a life is ruined and the dickbag who did this is free to strike again.

Until further notice all Vortex Club events will be indefinitely postponed, I cannot in good conscience let such events occured while such events as these happen. As information is acquired I will continue to update you all on the situation"

It takes me a while to write it, but by the time I am finished, I am pleased with the result. Nathan will know it's me and that I'm after him after this but at this point I'm too angry to care.

_"Will you be okay if I leave you alone for a few minutes?"_ I ask Kate, while sending a text to Juliet, the nosy cow is going to be useful, she hates Nathan's guts and is always looking for something to put in that gossip rag she calls a paper. _"Do you want to get the scoop of your life, if yes text me back and come to my room?"_.

_"Um... I think so?"_ She seems so unsure of herself, likely asking herself if it was her fault of that, something I'm going to need to knock out of her.

_"I'll just be outside if you need me okay"_ I tell her as sincerly as I can.

The moment the door is closed I start calling my the school nurse, she'll likely be useless but she has the authority to call in the police and local hospital, though from what I heard the Prescott's have influence in the Arcadia Bay PD.

_"Hello? Who is this?"_ The nurse's voice is strangely chipper for this time in the morning.

_"Nurse Barenchi, it's Victoria Chase"_.

_"Good morning, Miss Chase, can I help you?"_

_"Yes, It's Kate Marsh, she got drugged at last night's par-"_ I don't even make it to the end of my sentence.

_"Are you sure, this is a serious claim"_. The chipper voice is gone and is stone cold and serious.

_"Yes, she's in my room crying her eyes out barely able to remember what happened"_.

_"I will be there in half and hour"_ , I can hear the rushing of feet in the background and the slamming of several doors, _"how are you holding up?"_. What the hell kind of question is that? I'm not the one who's been attacked.

_"I'm fine, Kate's the one in trouble"_ I ground out, my anger showing a little where it should.

She seems to take it in her stride though. _"Are you alone with Miss Marsh, Victoria?"_.

_"Yes, she in my room right now"_.

_"That's good, don't worry, everything will alright Miss Chase, I need to hang up right now, I'll be there soon"_. The sound of a door closing and an engine starting is all I'm left with.

_"Alright"_ I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

I stand against the door for a minute, then I hear a door click open and close, looking to my right I see Juliet walking quickly towards me, still half a sleep, obviously my text woke her.

_"What the hell is so important that you text me demanding me to come to your room nine in the morning after a goddamn party?"_ Juliet demands trying to look imposing enough to elicit a response.

_"Nathan Prescott drugged Kate Marsh and then he and several other's sexually assaulted her last night at the party, I don't know how far they went though"_. Whatever she thought I was going to say, she goes to answer but stops then tries again, her look of disbelief sells it all but you can tell that she believes every word.

_"You're sure about this?"._

_"You were there, does any of what happened seem like something Kate Marsh would do, you know what she is like, I doubt abstinensce is the way would give up her principles for a single glass of wine no matter how good it was"_.

_"Well no... but, how do you know this? You weren't even there?"_.

_"Someone recorded it all, from what it seems several people were recording it all, they put it on the Vortex Club page."_.

_"Okay, but then how do you know she was drugged from the video?"_.

_"Nathan drunkenly called me last night, he stupidly left a voicemail telling me about how he saw Kate Marsh show up so he spiked a drink and offered it to her and then got her in the state you saw her in"_.

_"Do you still have the voicemail?"_.

_"Yep"_.

I open my phone and play it again for her to hear, by the end of it she looks like how I felt when I heard it the first time.

_"That.... that utter and complete bastard, how dare he do something like this and then fucking joke about it like it was a game. Fuck him."_. She points at my phone, I want a copy of that.

_"I'll send it to you later, now this is the point where you start asking everyone who was there what happened like a proper reporter, I wasn't there so I only have a vague idea about what happened",_ the first parts a lie, but by the time she realises it she’d be to busy to care.

_"Is Kate okay?"_.

_"She doing pretty badly, the school nurse is on her way, I just need to work on turning the school against Nathan"_.

_"Good luck"_ She offers sincerely and runs off back to he room. Juliet is like a bull in the china, she'll get the answers we need regardless of who's in the way, I just need to keep her away from Kate.

Quick texts to Talor & Courtney almost the same as Juliet's, they'll be at my room soon enough. I'll get them to spread some counter rumours and get people worried about this mysterious drugger.

Principal Wells can wait till the Nurse is on my side, he can can easily be bought with money but a big enough scandal will be able to prevent him from being too easy to buy.

Now I just need to wait. Wheels are in motion.

 

Thursday, 5th October 2013 – Don't Fuck With Victoria – 9:12am

I head back into my room and wait for a knock. Kate has stopped crying seemingly ran out of tears and all that's left is a destroyed girl, wondering what's left.

I sit beside her and wrap my arm around her, I don't really know what to say to her to make her feel better. So I decide just to sit next to her and just be there for her.

I feel Kate moving her body shifting to face me, looking over I see her staring at me. _"Why are you helping me, you hate me?"._

_"I don't hate... "_.

Kate interupts me, _"You do so don't lie to me, so why are you helping me?"_.

Why am I helping her?

I'm not friends with her, that's Max's domain. It's not because of social responsibility, I was the only one who actually knew what happened behind the scenes apart from Nathan and I doubt he would start telling everyone. Now that I think about it, at no point did I think about not helping her.

It was strangely instinctive of me to go immediately on the offensive, for Kate Marsh of all people. I've let the school busybody on the loose, the nurse is on the way and my minions as well. All because of a voicemail and a crying girl. I should know better than to get involved in something like this, but I honestly don't care, this is the right thing to do and I'm doing it for her goddamn it.

_"It's the right thing to do, you didn't deserve any of this to happen you but it happened and I was the only one who could help..."_ , keep compusure Victoria, don't start crying, _"and I couldn't just stand there and let it happen, regardless of whether I hated you or not, and I don't hate you, I don't think I ever hated you, you were just another face to make fun of to keep up appearances and remain on the top of the pile"_.

That last bit is a little mean but it's the turth, hopefully it will help the case that this isn't all some evil scheme, maybe not completely, months of insults don't get forgiven so quickly.

_"I think I can accept that"_ , Kate actually gives me a smile, and boy does it make her look attractive, it may have only lasted for a few seconds but I've already lost the breath in my lungs and have begun starring a lot longer than I should have.

Fuck. These are not the thoughts I should be having right now. Kate attractive? Where the hell did that come from, I have never thought that about her let any other girl, so why am I still starring at her.

I shake my head to joggle those thoughts away. _"I'm sorry, I zoned out for a second"_. Liar. You did anything but.

_"That's alright, you must have a lot on your mind right now"_.

I laugh a little, she's right, just not how she things right now. Anyway, why is she worrying about me, she's the one in trouble.

_"I'm fine"_ , I'm terrified but too proud to admit it too anyone but myself and too angry to care, "but thanks for asking".

And that's how we spent the next however many minutes, just sat next to each other in my room in comfortable silence and enjoying the mere presence of each other.

I wanted it too last longer than it did, it felt calm, peaceful, nice. But it couldn't last, people were expected and I will not lie that I was dissapointed when there was a rapping knock on the door.

_"I think this is the nurse, I hope you don't mind that I called her if it is?"_ I end it like this was a question when in reality it wouldn't matter, she may not like it but it's needed, all she does it nod, thankfully there will be no complaits from her even if she wants to give them. That's good, I hope.

I open it and there she stands, the late-30s school nurse of Blackwell Academy. Ex-private hospital, left not long after a major traffic accident a couple of years back, she usually remains busy in her office so we don't see much of her. Reports from people who know her is that she is kind, friendly and incredible serious about her job even if nothing happens at Blackwell. Nothing usually happens at Blackwell, I correct.

_"Miss Chase, how is Miss Marsh feeling?"_ She asks with polite respect, refusing to call us by our first names, always Miss or Mr regardless of the situation.

_"Umm... not too good"_ , I look around to see Kate still sitting there almost unmoving that brief moment of joy is long gone and all I want to do is bring it back.

_"May I come in?"_ she asks forever polite.

_"Please, I'm sorry about the mess"_. There is no mess, I don't know why I said it, just something polite to add onto the end of 'please' to fill it out.

She doesn't seem to have noticed, having descended on Kate on the moment I moved aside.

I tone out most of the conversation, standing watch by the door waiting for Taylor & Courtney. I listen as she asks a lot of questions I already know the answers to, after around ten minutes of talking she rolls up Kate's sleave and takes a blood sample from her before handing her a small cup and asking for a urine sample. Lovely, but neccesary.

She helps Kate up and out my room to the toilet down the hall, I smile at Kate as they leave in an attempt to assure her things will be alright, but I doubt it will be good enough. I look into my now empty room and it doesn't feel right now, it feels too empty and lonely so I stand out in the hall starring across and at the wall wondering how things went this wrong this quickly. I don't notice that I'm not alone until it is too late.

_"Victoria?"_.

Maxine Caulfield, Why do you have the worst timing possible.

_"Can I help you Max?"_. I don't even turn to look at her, it may seem rude but this missing phone is far too interesting and my body refuses to look at anything else.

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Reading the missing poster"_ , I turn to look at her, she's wearing the usual set up of jeans, inoffensive t-shirt with a jumper over it and a messenger bag most likely containing a notebook and her camera, nothing else. _"I don't know"_. I should put up my bitching facade, insult how her jumper probably cost her $10 in a goodwill somewhere but it suits her and is obviously comfortable otherwise why else would you wear it almost every day. The comfort factor of a jumper isn't the reason why I'm not being a bitch, but it's a nice excuse, the honest truth is that I can't will myself to be that version of me, it probably helps that we're alone in the corridor so no-one can witness me being nice to somone else though if I get spotted having a heart will I go after them to stop them spreading the news. Nope.

_"What's up?"_. She looks actually concerned, she doesn't even like me and yet she's being nice to me like Kate was earlier. I didn't do anything to deserve this kindness from them. They fit each other better than I thought and it causes me to realise that she may not actually know what's happened, she looks dressed for going out and is casually happy. It's not an actual look but you can tell it from short impressions on her face and in her stance, it's tenser now but I'm certain that's all me.

_"Kate Marsh got drugged at last night's party by Nathan Prescott, that's what's up"_.

Her gasp of horror is impressive, the casually happy look of earlier is replaced by one of horror, sadness and rage.

_"How do you know this? You don't even like Kate?"_ Max begins to shout at me, only barely having the restraint not to wake the floor. You can see the cogs turning in her brain trying to fit me into this whole equation.

_"Calm down hipster, I didn't do it, if I had I would have stopped it before it could have started."_ Max has the respect to look slightly guilty. _"The idiot left a message on my phone confessing it all and when I left my room I saw her left against her door. I've been doing my best to fix this entire fucking mess since I woke up"_.

_"You didn't have to help if you didn't want to, but you thank you for doing it"_.

_"Didn't have a choice, but I appreciate the thanks Max, not like I'm going to get a lot of it in the near future"_. She laughs moving to my opposite, covering the poster I was looking at before she arrived.

_"Where is she by the way?"_ Max asks curiously, having held it off long enough.

_"In the toilets with Nurse Barenchi, they want some samples to test I guess, to prove she was drugged"_ I tell her.

_"Ah"_ She nods sagely and then shuts up. We've quickly ran out of things to talk about, leaving the two of us standing awkwardly oppossite each other in the corridor, the only interest's I know that we share is photography and I don't think either of us want to talk about our favourite photographers right now.

It's not too long until the toilet door opens, Kate Marsh walking out followed by Nurse Barenchi. Kate immediately brightens up the moment she sees Max and Me. The nurse doesn't, she walks grimly up to me, a small blue bag with what seems to be small containers inside, _"I'll process these immediatly, I should be done in a few hours, I'll call you with the results and hopefully we can take this to the authorities"_.

Kate looks shocked at the mention of the police, so does Max, I don't think they expected us to go quite this far. I'm not sure if going ahead will entirely work, the Prescott's own Blackwell and the own half of Arcadia Bay, to moment Nathan's father catches wind of all this he'll be threatening the school and everyone involved to stay quiet.

We've got enough physical evidence I hope, we just need witnesses, and speak of the devil Courtney & Taylor arrive at last.

Turning my head to Max & Kate, _"Do you want to go into my room, the couch is more comfortable than the wall"_.

It's an offer that I hope they take, Courtney & Taylor will wonder what the hell they're doing here, especially what they're doing in my room which is a lot less than if Max & Kate stay out here.

Thankfully, Max nods and Kate follows here into my room, closing the door behind them not enough to do it properly, the locking click is missing.

_"What's going on Tori? First that message on Facebook, Juliet is harassing people about last night, the Nurse was up here and now you're letting Lamefield & Marsh into your room like it's nothing"_. Taylor doesn't look happy but it's coming more from confusion than actual anger.

_"Nathan drugged Kate at the party last night"_ , they react with a mix of shock and guilt, _"so tell me what happened last night at that party?"_

_"We were having fun"_ Courtney replies.

_"Having fun?"_ I don't mean to sound angry, but it just happens and Courtney steps back in fright, her bodies survival instinct telling her danger ahead, move away.

_"We just thought she had gotten drunk, Victoria, nothing else"_ Taylor steps in after Courtney verbally tripped and fell.

_"So tell me what happened, all I've gotten so far is what Kate has told me and she barely remembers most of what happened"_.

A few seconds of what seems like a standoff before Courtney begins an actual explanation.

_"We had been there for around an hour and a half when Kate arrived, we were a little shocked when we saw her milling around, laughed about it for a little while but mostly ignored her, we better things to do than watch Jesus Freak all night"_.

When it became clear that Courtney didn't have much more to add than that Taylor started her own explanation, _"I saw Nathan leave not too long after Kate entered, he said he was off to the toilet but then didn't come back for a far too long, he ended up coming back almost twenty minutes, he seemed to focus on her for most of the night after that. I didn't think much of it at the time"._

_"Anything off about him?"_ I ask Taylor.

_"He was a bit more agitated, like he was paranoid of something"_ realisation grows as she mulls it over, that glint is in her eye, _"He was watching for the drugs, to take affect, that bastard"_.

It was working easier than I thought it would, the gears were ticking in their heads and they were coming up with ideas of what happened and what could have happened.

_"After a while she started getting frisky with some of the football team, it was funny watch prudy Miss. Marsh getting some, then after a while she seemed to be a bit out of it so... so, Nathan told her he would take her to the hospital."_ At this point they both look horrified. They knew something was off with Nathan, not all the time but there were moments here and there where he wasn't the person we've known for years.

_"She left with Nathan? Is that what you're saying?"_ I need a confirmation.

_"Yes. I'm fairly certain Logan & Zach helped him get her into his car, I don't think she was conscious by that point."_ I'll ask them and see if they remember it, but I doubt they're lying.

_"Wait, so if Nathan took her too the hospital, what is she doing here?"_ Courtney says, not wanting to think something happened.

_"I don't know, I found her sleeping against her door frame when I woke up and she doesn't remember anything beyond having more than a drink"_. It was that not knowing that scared me the most, I know what happened between her arrival at the party and her leaving the party, but there is an almost ten hour gap inbetween then and me finding her.

_"You don't think?"_ Taylor adds with an inflection at the end. She wants to know if Nathan took advantage or her, but she doesn't want to say it, the entire word itself having a shrowd of horror it rightly deserves, and the worst part is, I have no idea, she looked incredibly disheveled when I found her, but that could mean anything, including that.

All I can give is a sad shake of the head, _"I honestly don't know"_.

_"You don't think she faking it... you know for attention",_ Courtney soon regrets saying that, I don't even need to say anything just looking at her makes her shrivel back _, "It was just an idea, sorry for just making sure"_ she isn't that happy about my response but she'll get over it and I'll apologise by taking them out to the Two Whales and paying for lunch.

_"Nathan drunkenly left a message on my phone telling my about how effective GHB is at making Kate Marsh take on the football team at a game of tongue wrestling, he somehow thought that was something I'd find amusing"_.

_"What do you want us to do?"_ Taylor asks. Good little minion of mine knows exactly what I want.

_"Tell everyone to watch out for Nathan, and spread it around what happened, not everyone is Vortex material but that video will soon be making the rounds and by the time they take it down most of the school will have seen it and no-one would know the context for it all"_. Let's cut the rumours that will soon be spreading with another rumour. Fight fire with fire.

_"Of course Tori, we can't let him hurt anyone else"_ Courtney agrees knowing exactly what I want.

_"You're the best, I would join you but I'm busy fixing everything from here"_ I tell them both, giving them a large smile before wrapping them both up in a hug, this will keep them out of trouble for the most part and will keep them away from here.

_"Of course, tell Kate we wish her the best... "_ Taylor starts a get well soon, _"And if she needs anything, she just needs to ask"_ that Courtney finishes, which they wouldn't have done if I hadn't twisted their arm and told them exactly what happened. They feel guilty, and they should, they wouldn't have cared otherwise.

It sounds shockingly familiar, doesn't it.

Maybe that's why I putting this much force into this, recompense for Kate, if anyone led the charge on tormenting her, it would most likely be me.

I wave them off as they leave the dorms, talking amonst themselves about who they are going to talk with first about all this.

As the door to the stairs clooses I'm happy to see them leave, for as much as I love them as my friends, this is something that they will mess up like a bull in a china shop and it's already fragile enough with Kate, and now Max.

Taking a deep breath, I turn around and open the door to my room.

Sat awkwardly on my couch is Kate and Max, out of place compared to the rest of the bedroom. Kate sat, still in her Pajamas from earlier. The arms being a darker shade from wiping tears most morning. Her eyes are the same, bloodshot from them and with the telltale marks underneath them that you've been rubbing them when you shouldn't.

Maxine is sat next to her, arm on Kate's back and another on her knee, rubbing gently in a soothing manner.

Both eyes are immediately on me.

_"How are you feeling?"_ I ask them closing the door behind me.

_"Better, thank you"_ Kate responds with a small smile and it just feels like everything I'm doing is right.

_"That's good, if you need anything, just ask"_ I tell her moving to my desk chair.

_"No, it's okay, you've done more than I ever could have imagined"_ Kate says, soemhope her in voice as while it doesn't sound cheerful, it's not completely depressed.

_"There's no need to thank me, just doing what anyone else would have done in the same situation"_. I'm certain that this is a lie, a great big stinking lie, likely most would have cried over what a shame this was and told her to get over it or worse still that it was her fault and she was asking for it.

Facebook is alive when I open it. My post is starting to get noticed by Blackwell as everyone begins to wake up. I have several messages and the post itself has already gathered a string of comments and a dozen likes. The comments are mostly shock that something like this could happen at one of our parties. A couple of the jocks are threatening whoever did this with a beat down, Juliet, Courtney & Taylor have all started blaming Nathan for all of this saying how he was acting strangely for most of the night and was the one who handed Kate the only drink she had, the idea is catching on. It seems to be a witch hunt in the making, not that I particularly mind, this was the entire point, turn the entire academy against him.

It's a lot easier than you think, though most of this outrage and anger will likely subside it will take a few days by that point. Nathan's father would have likely paid to shut everyone up by that point and things would go on as usual, though Nathan may be forced to move.

I sit for a few minutes answering all the messages, thanking them for the responses, most of them either being apologies for not noticing anything but there are a few that say how they noticed Nathan acting strangely and how he was the one to hand Kate the drink, nothing I didn't alrady know but it adds to the consensus. There is something that stands out and it was how he took her to the hospital, something that clearly didn't happen.

_"Kate"_ , the moment I say her name her eyes shoot towards me, _"Do you remember anything else from last night?"_ , It's worth a shot, maybe she remembers something else now, maybe I could jog her memory by describing what happened.

_"No, it's all still a blur, sorry"_. She shakes her head as if she has something to apologise for.

_"So you don't remember going to a hospital?"_ I say slowly.

_"No, sorry it's all a mess"_. Oh well, it was worth a shot. I was going to go back to answering questions then it looks like the lightbulb inside her head just lit up, _"Wait, I do remember something, it's not much I just remember being in a bright white room, like a hospital then I heard someone say something, I thought it was Nathan but it was too soft, then nothing"_.

_"Are you sure it wasn't a hospital"_. I need confirmation, it would give me information of where she spent most of the night.

_"I'm certain"_. And she does, a little bit of rightous fury remains I can tell, she says it with such certainty that the idea of doubting her is at the back of my mind.

_"Did you recognise the voice?"_ This is the most dangerous part, it means Nathan was not alone in his activities.

_"No, sorry, all I remember is how soft spoken and relaxed it sounded"_.

_"If you heard it again, could you recognise it?"_ If she could remember

_"I don't know, maybe?"_ She shrugs her shoulder's unsure, _"I was pretty out of it, all I can remember is how soft it was, nothing more"_.

_"Hopefully we won't need you to identify them"_. I'm not sure if I want her to be anywhere near this other bastard, but the big question is who the hell this other person is as who the hell can Nathan be working with on this?

_"Don't worry about that, I'll be fine Victoria, you need to start worrying about yourself"_.

What? Is that a warning? It would sound like a threat if it wasn't coming of of Kate Marsh and having to tone of a convent sister.

_"All of what you've done so far seems so out of character for you, if I wasn't here to witness it all I would be suspicous of it all, what if Nathan retaliates? Gets you kicked out the Vortex Club? Or worse, kicked out of Blackwell?"_ She says it with such concern that it sounds like it is the biggest problem going on right now, and for the moment my mind agrees with her as what the hell am I doing? I've began a campaign against someone who I called one of my best friends until yesterday and while I didn't think he was capable of what he did until that message it all sort of seemed right that he would be the one, his outbursts did scare me when they happened occassionly in my prescence but I just ignored it and continued and now I've made him an enemy over a girl I would have outright harassed on any other series of events.

It's a mistake. That's what it all is, some attempt to seem better than I actually am when really I'm just an insecure coward who instead of starting petty rivalries over small insults or just to create a scene to make me look more important I'm using it for something actually good and it's going to blow up in my face. I should have just kept on walking, avoided Nathan for an arbitrary amount of time and let it all blow over.

Then I look at Kate sitting on my couch, looking at me with such care and it doesn't seem to matter. It's a strange feeling, it's just that primal feeling of rage that you get as a child when someone else tries to take your toy away, the feeling where you will protect what is yours against all comers because it is yours and no-one elses. That's all I can feel when I think of this situation now is the will to make anyone who dares to hurt Kate, regret  that decision as I rip them limb from limb with my bare hands.

_"I'll deal with that when it comes, I'll be fine don't worry, I'm Victoria Chase, nobody fucks with me and gets away with it"_ I do my best to put up a confident facade. I'm not sure if it works but It seems so and that's good enough for me.

Friday, 5th October 2013 – Call from the Devil, 10:39am

Avedon-esque. That's how Max describes my work. She's never talked with me for a minute about my work and she describes it like the works of one of my heroes. That's what this entire string of conversations has been like. Constant similarites. I never knew that Max lived in Seattle, it should have been obvious and it is, painfuly so as I quickly run through my memories, it's just I somehow managed to never meet her, unless I did, at somepoint. Walking past her and never batted an eyelid, just moved on by, the list of favourite locations are almost identical, the only real differences were which area of Seattle we lived in, Laurelhurst for me, Greenwood for her. Though I spent most of my schooling years a short walk away from her the entire time.

If we were in seperate situations would she do the same thing I did to her, most likely, I honestly can't imagine living outside of my little corner of Seattle even if it was lonely, the Chase Space taking up so much of my parents time. And while I made friends at Lakeside, I barely keep up with the majority of them since I convinced my parents to let me come to Blackwell the moment I was the right age.

Maybe I should try to catch up with them after all this, meet up during the holidays or something. I could maybe bring Max and Kate along, get away. The house will be empty most of the time and despite not being around most of the time, my parents love me and they wouldn't mind if I brought some friends over.

Maybe I should ask them, see what it would be like to hang out with them more.

_"I've got an idea."_ The two perk up.

Then my phone vibrates heavily on the desk. Someone's calling me.

Grabbing the phone quickly I see the picture of Nathan sitting by the tree at the front of Blackwell smiling. Shit. I have to answer this.

_"What's wrong Victoria?"_. I must not have been very subtle with my reaction to it, Kate  & Max look at me obviously concerned.

_"Nathan's calling me."_

_"What?"_ shouts Max angrily, _"he's got some nerve"_. _"Please don't answer it"_ says Kate at the same time.

_"He must have seen the message on Facebook, I have too, now shhh"_ mimicking the gesture. I slide the green phone icon accross the tablet and I don't even need to put the phone to my ear to hear what he's saying as I hear a near continous string of expletives for a good 20 seconds.

Eventually it stops, he's gracefully given me time to respond as he actually breaths for a second.

_"Are you done swearing or is there some more left in there?"_

_"No, I'm not fucking done you absolute bitch"_ , the venom in his voice is clear, he's probably frothing at the mouth at the other end of the phone, _"what the fuck have I done to make you turn on me like this or have you suddenly gone all lesbo with the bible freak, I didn't think you'd be so gullible to fall for something as stupid as a rumour like this, bitch gets drunk one time and the immediate reaction is that it is a drugging"_. I want to say I've never seen Nathan be this angry, but I've known him for years and that means you get to see them at times like this, just usually i'm on the side watching on as he shouts at someone else, quietly waiting for him to finish his tirade. It's a lot different being on the recieving end of this. I suddenly don't feel so brave as I did before as I can feel him breathing down my neck from the other side of the phone.

I'm silent, just taking it all in. It's too long a break to him it seems.

_"Can't say anything can you bitch-toria, caught out being an asshole, no apologies?"_ He doesn't seem to have calmed down.

Then I feel an arm on my shoulder and almost jmp out of my skin, I look to my right and see Kate smiling at me and I suddenly remember I'm not the only one in the room despite having only just been talking to them.

_"I don't believe you"_. It must have been quieter than I thought it was.

_"What was that?"_

_"I don't believe you"_ , I say it with more force.

_"You don't believe me?"_ Nathan says incredoulously.

_"No"_ , My response is firm now, _"You confessed to me, or don't you remember? I have an audio recording of you telling me that you did it, why Nathan, what the hell could make you do something so stupid?"_

Now it's his turn to be silent.

_"You have a recording?"_ He asks, half shock and half disbelief.

_"Of you mid-way through the party begging me to enjoy the spectacle"._

_"Shit...    Shit shit shit, he's going to kill me"_ , Nathan throws that out quickly, making no sense, who's going to do what? What has Nathan got himself into. _"You need to stop this Victoria, I admit it, I did drug Kate, but you can't let anyone else know, tell them it's a false alarm, shit shit shit, you don't understand Tori this is dangerous"_. Nathan sounds terrified, scared for your life kind of terror.

What the hell is going on?

_"Whatever you've done Nathan, it's okay, just come clean and everything will be fine"_. I can't confirm any of that, but it's probably true, I'm sure the police will protect him.

_"I can't come clean, I've done to much already, my father would have a heart attack if he knew and I can't let Krissy know, she's the only part of my family that I like"._

_"You may have to, I'm not going to to make everyone think Kate was just doing this for the attention just to cover for you"._

We're silent again, for a minute.

_"I'm sorry Tori, for everything"_.

_"Natha- "_. I'm too late, he's already hung up on me, I don't know what's going on but it's sounding worse by the second. My best friend is a criminal, well more of one than I thought he was to the point where he has gotten himself into something dangerous. Whatever is dangerous in Arcadia Bay.

I'm in tears before my back hits the chair, why is today today, how could something like this happen here.

I look up at Kate who's still standing there looking at me as if I was this fantastical creature, like I haven't been one of the worst people to her at Blackwell.

_"I'm sorry"_ She says it so sweetly, meaning it with every syllable.

_"For what?"_ I'm confused, there is nothing for her to be sorry of, thankful maybe, but not sorry.

_"For getting in the way of your friendship, I know that you and Nathan were close"_.

_"It's the right thing, right?"_ , I likely sound completely unsure of myself despite how almost black and white this whole situation has turned into, _"that's all that matters, right?"_.

_"Of course, now come sit on the couch, we can talk about this over there, is that alright?"_. I nod and Kate takes my hand and leads me over to the couch, sitting me down inbetween me and Max.

Friday, 5th October 2013 – Friendly Neighbourhood David Madsen, 11:42am

I feel like I've been missing out, I knew Max was better than most of the shits in this school and instead of trying to show off by acting like the most important and dangerous person here to tempt her to join the Vortex Club. I knew she was never going to join regardless and I would have probably have been dissapointed if she did join in the end. Max stands by her friends, knows more about photography than I thought she would, apart from it's history, the daguerreotype tidbit she didn't know. 1-0 to Victoria, not that I'm actually counting, I might lose and that would ruin everything.

We're just waiting for a response from the Nurse and things will begin to start rolling properly, hopefully Nathan can me made to see reason, I've sent him a couple of messages telling him that everything will be all right, just go to the cops and everything will be fine, but no response at all.

I know he sounded pretty freaked out, but I doubt it could be as bad as he thinks it is and he's just worrying more than he should be, as long as he doesn't do anything unreasonable things will work out just fine. Right?

A few raps onto the door gets our attention, _"Miss Chase, are you in?"_ , the nurse says from the other side of the door.

I open the door to see the school nurse standing in front of me with a frown on her face, she doesn't look too happy as she hands me a piece of folded paper. Unfolding it is a list of names and figures that means nothing to me apart from a line that has been circled in red pen, 'High traces of _gamma_ -Hydroxybutyric acid', I have no idea what the hell that is but it must be important.

Pointing it out on the sheet, _“What does this... “_ , I begin to ask but she cuts me off.

_"gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, it's a sedative and a date rape drug which is illegal in the United States”_.

This means there is even more proof. We're this much closer.

_“That's great... well not great, but it means we're right”_ I smile with glee as I read it again, it's no less understandable but it's clearer to me.

_“Yes it does Miss Chase which is why I 've called Mr. Madsen who you may know is our head of security here at Blackwell”_ the nurse tells me acting like I don't know who David Madsen is, he's the paranoid veteran who thinks everyone is a drug dealer. Though there are a lot of drug dealers around Blackwell and it is why i'm investigating one of my friends for something like this.

_“What about Principel Wells?”_ If the head of security is getting involved it's only understandable that the he principel would be too.

_“Not yet, I was waiting for Mr. Madsen to assess the situation first before moving ahead”_.

I felt that was understandable but it also felt it was kind of a cop out at this point, she was unwilling to take a stance on this in case something went wrong.

_“Everything seems to be in hand at this point”_ I hear Max say behind me, _“Two confessions, a positive drug test and eyewitness statements saying he was acting suspicious_ _, that should be more than enough evidence”_.

_“I know”_ she says in a tone that understands that is more than enough but doesn't want to push it that extra mile to do something about it.

I feel like I should shut the door in her face and just wait for Madsen to arrive but I just leave it open and sit back down in my chair, the nurse stands in the door frame for a minute before leaving, heading towards the stairs.

It's another ten minutes before we hear the stair doors open and footsteps in the hall, a knock on the wall and we can see David Madsen standing in the door frame, looking like he always did as if he was still in the military and that what we needed was some more discipline.

_“I've been informed of what's happened”_ He says walking into my room without asking, just a blunt and uncaring as he usually acts, not matter of the situation that he is walking into.

_“When did you find out that something was wrong?”_ He asks me first.

_“This morning, Nathan Prescott left a voice mail on my phone talking about it”_

_“He told you he drugged Miss. Marsh?”_

_“Yes”_ , I grab my phone from the desk and open the file, _“I've kept a recording in case I needed to use it”_ , I press play and let it run through, David is focused on the recording, when it's through he asks me to play it again.

After the second time, he writes something down in his notepad, _“Then what happened?”_.

_“I took care of Kate and asked everyone to tell me about what happened at the party”_.

_“You weren't present at the party?”_ He asks slightly confused, likely expecting me to be at every single party.

_“No, I decided to skip this one”_

_“Have you had any more contact with Nathan since the voice mail?”_ A sudden switch of conversations.

_“Once, he called me not too long ago”_ I shiver from the thought of the call, where he went from angry to terrified in seconds.

_“Did he say anything during the call”_.

_“He... “_ , I pause thinking of him shouting at me and how angry he was, _“he was angry, incredibly angry and he said something about another person, male I think”_.

He starts writing in his notepad, looking up at me, _“Did he say a name?”_.

_“No.”_

At this he looks disappointed but more resigned to guessing I wouldn't know. _“You've brought up the fact there is a problem, it's a start”_ , he looks over at Kate for a second before returning to me, _“do you mind if I talk to her for a minute?”_.

Looking expectantly unsure at me all I can do is nod, I think it's best if Kate recounts everything, but I've known David Madsen for a while and I realise that he is not the gentlest of individuals.

Standing aside I watched as David kneels in front of Kate, trapped in-between the couch and the table. _“Miss Marsh, would you mind answering a few questions?”_.

Kate nods slightly in acquiescence, I watch as David takes a deep breath, almost expecting things to go badly, _“Do you understand what Is going on right now, Miss Marsh?”,_ he begins, treating her like a child.

All she can do is nod as she holds onto Caulfield, not able to speak.

_“That’s_ good”, Madsen follows, _“Do you remember anything from last night?”._

It takes a minute for her to get the courage to speak, _“I remember arriving and being given a drink, but the rest is just a blur… I’m sorry I don’t remember more, really”,_ Kate begins freaking out a little, Caulfield does her best to reassure her, but does little to stop.

Not noticing or caring at this, Madsen plods on regardless, _“Are you sure? Was it Nathan Prescott, this is important Miss Marsh?”._ What the hell is he on. Is it saying the worst thing he can think of?

On cue, Kate continues to get worse on the mention of how important this is, _“No… maybe… I don’t know, all I remember is being handed a drink, I wasn’t paying attention to who handed it to me… it’s not that important is it?”,_ she asks terrified at what a ‘yes’ would mean.

_“No”,_ I interrupt firmly, _“We have everything we need already, it will just help, there is nothing to worry about”,_ David looks quietly furious but he’s either not willing to bring it up in front of Kate or at all, either is good with me.

Taking a moment, David says _“Victoria is correct”,_ damn right I am, _“I clearly have enough evidence to move on, while I am only a security guard, I have the right to search the dormitories if It is relevant to a student’s action, so stay here while I inspect Nathan’s room”._

_“I’m coming with you”,_ He’s not heading off alone, especially into my best friend’s room. Ex-best friend, I’m not sure what to call Nathan at this point.

_“Ms. Chase, until the relevant authorities arrive, I am in charge of this investigation”_ David states, no room for argument in his voice, looks like Madsen thinks he’s a real cop, I take a quick glance to Kate and walk out, if he wants to have his moment, he can do it outside.

I am unsure if he’s followed me, but the door shutting behind me tells me everything I need to know.

_“Nathan was my friend, so If you want to search his room in a timely fashion you’re going to need more than you”,_ I start before he can get a word in, _“And about the relevant authorities, you call the police up and they’re just going to ignore It so unless you’ve contacted someone higher than the local sheriff, we’re all you’ve got”._

Madsen is clearly not impressed, but as he goes to respond he keeps opening and closing his mouth, looking for a response that will work, unable to get more than a word out before stopping.

_“Okay, but I’m still in charge”_ Is all he can finish with.

_“Good enough for me, Rambo”_

It’s a short walk to the Boy’s Dorm, in just over a minute we’re already at Nathan’s door, David fumbling with the keys, the moment David puts in the correct one the door swings open already unlocked, we stare at each other for a moment in surprise, David quickly pulling his gun out.

Wait what.

“Why the fuck are you armed?” is all I can think to ask, not that it is any surprise.

“Because he might be”, David says with a certainty that makes me glad he’s on my side of the argument still not quite believing after all this that Nathan would be armed, I’ve never seen a gun, though it is not something you leave lying around.

Slowly opening the door, David scans the room as I wait in the hall, “Clear”, I hear him says before entering after.

The last time I was in Nathan’s room, it was spotless, I had never known Nathan to keep a mess, this time however it was trashed, someone had clearly left in a hurry, I knew Nathan was worried, and he should be with what we have on him, but It never came to me that he might flee.

David holsters his pistol, the pair of us begin searching the room. I sit down and begin scanning his computer for anything that stands out, but nothing does beyond a few odd email responses from Nathan, when I hear David gasp in shock, before stepping back.

I swing my head around in response, as I watch a photo fall to the ground, David standing there frozen in place, his hand on his mouth.

Getting up I walk over to him, for acting tough, this is not the reaction I was expecting, picking up the photo. A picture of a girl with blue hair, clearly unconscious on the floor, the girl is familiar, her first name rings around in my head having seen her and her truck around town, Price, that’s it, Chloe Price, daughter of the lady who runs the diner in town.

I can’t help but stare at it, she clearly didn’t volunteer for this photo, her pose is mangled and rough as she lies in the foetal position, it’s proof, concrete proof of a kind, that he did it, he truly did it. And the worst part is that it’s proof wasn’t the first, and all I can do is think back to how long he’s been here and how many girls attend Blackwell. How high the number could be?

_“Chloe… he got Chloe”_ David whispers still in shock.

_“Chloe?”_ I can help hide my curiosity about why Cloe is special to him.

_“She’s my… “,_ he pauses for a second before correcting himself, _“She’s Joyce’s daughter, I should have been paying closer attention to her”._

_“You did the best you could”,_ I try my best to sound supportive, but it probably just comes out disdainful.

_“No, I didn’t”,_ he says, new found determination in his voice, _“But I can get the bastard who did this”._

_“That’s good, but we should get back to searching”_

_“You’re right”_ He says, getting on his knees and begins looking around the floor, _“Wait, I think I’ve found something”,_ he surprisingly quickly, getting up on his knees, _“Help me with this”,_ grabbing one of the couch arms.

I take the second and we push it away from the wall, looking around, stuck on the back of the couch, taped to the back is a Ziploc bag with a phone inside it. David grabs and rips it away, pressing the unlock button down.

_“Shit”,_ he says as he looks down at a lock screen, _“It’s password protected”,_ stating the obvious.

_“Give it I here”_ I say, leaving my hand open, he thinks for a second before putting it down on my palm.

_“If I know, Nathan, and I think I do… Or at least thought I do, he always has the same password for these things”._ 0829 I press, hearing the click of success, _“His birthday”._

Moving to my side, we both search through the phone, the only area that was touched is the messages. A series of messages between him and who I can only assume is Frank to do with buying for last night, the time puts it around quarter to eleven by the time Nathan got what he was after. Roughly the time, Kate left with him to the ‘Hospital’.

The mention of ‘Water’ makes sense with someone drugged but not unconscious. Someone like Kate.

The only other series of messages on the phone are between him and this mysterious other he was talking about, a partner who seems more in control than Nathan ever was, leading back months with it flaring up around parties.

_“We need to get the police involved”,_ David says, _“We can’t keep this between us”._

_“Agreed, but not the cops”._

I get out my phone and call up the only people who I think at this point can help us. It’s a bit of a leap, but I contact the first people who come to my attention.

_“Good afternoon, Federal Bureau of Investigation Oregon, Portland Office, How can I help you today”_ A chipper female voice says on the other end, David goes to speak but I shush him before he can get a word out.

_“Yes, I would like to report a crime”_ I say with as much authority as I can, which would likely mean little to the voice at the other of the line.

_“Ma’am, you would be better calling to police for that, they will inform us if it requires our services”_ she says dismissively still in that chipper tone.

_“This is serious, we have evidence of multiple cases of kidnapping and… and…. “,_ I try to think of something that would make this serious, then it hits me, Rachel Amber, _“and the murder of Rachel Amber”,_ I don’t know if she’s dead, but it gets the lady of the other end’s attention.

_“Please hold”_ , is all I hear before the line goes quiet, I’m standing there thinking I’ve fucked up when the line beeps again.

_“This is Special Agent Robert Hersh, I am told you have some information for me”,_ A rough voiced man sounds over the phoneline.

_“Uh, yeah… A friend…. A student at my school, Blackwell Academy, she was drugged last night by Nathan Prescott and I, I mean, we think it is related to Rachel Amber”,_ Suddenly I my voice loses all confidence as doubts about the evidence we have and the certainty of what we are doing despite everything fills my thoughts.

_“You think? I don’t see how this is related, Ms., I was told you had evidence”_ the Agent on the other end, not sounding overly pleased. _“Do you have evidence or as you just having your jollies, you and your friends?”._

_“We do…. We have a phone!!”,_ I say dramatically quickly realising how empty it sounds, _“We have Nathan’s phone with messages of the case…. And a drug test and a confession, also eyewitnesses who will corroborate what we’re saying, me and Mr. Madsen”,_ ending with name dropping David, to try and keep his attention.

_“If you have evidence you wish to submit I would ask that you go through the proper channels instead of calling us directly”_ He says somewhat dismissively.

The line goes quiet for a second, the sounds of a conversation happening in the background, it’s a minute before I hear his voice again.

_“Me and my partner will be there in two hours”_ He says, _“Do you have a number we can contact you with?”._

I quickly handover my phone number, I would assume my number was obvious from the call, but you never know, they might think this was a pay phone or not a reliable place to contact.

_“We’ll meet you soon, make sure you have the evidence”_ he says before hanging up on me.

_“The FBI are coming”_ I tell David.

If he surprised by this, he does his best not to show it.

_“That’s good”, he pauses for a second, “We should probably move the girls to someplace safe”_

At this point I can’t help but agree. Blackwell doesn’t feel right anymore, that professional and comforting aesthetic it’s built up has disappeared, every shadow is hiding something sinister, each corner an ambush waiting to happen.

I can’t see a reason to stay. But I can’t think of a place to go, looking around as if some object would give me a guiding flash of inspiration that would guide me.

In the end I say the first place that comes to mind.

_“The Two Whales”._

It’s not the smartest plan, what with how busy the Two Whales is on an afternoon, but it’ll have to do. Regardless, none of us have eaten in a while and I can’t think of a better place to wait than something so public.

David nods in approval.

We head down the stairs, _“You grab the girls, I’ll meet you out front”_ David says walking towards the school.

I rush up the stairs and down the hall, I hear Stella asking after me as I walk past, but I have places to be as I slam open my door, shocking Kate and Max as I do, _“We’re leaving”_ , is all I say as I grab my bag and throw in some spare clothes, not sure when I’m returning to this room.

Max goes to question me, but she realises it’s best not to argue and helps get Kate standing, she looks as bad as I saw last, getting on her other side we make our way through Blackwell, clearly faster than Kate likes but neither me, nor Max, want to slow down when get going.

By the time we make it out front, I can see Madsen’s shitty little car sat waiting for us in the car park, helping put Kate is the back with Max, I get in the front where David promptly hands me his phone, _“Call Chloe, tell her to meet us at the Two Whales, tell her how serious it is”._

Normally I’d tell him to go fuck himself, but now isn’t the time or the place, and that loser can help Kate out.

I find her name in his contacts as he drives out of Blackwell car park, it rings for a while I’m not sure she’ll even pick up when I hear the ringing end and her voice at the other.

_“What do you want now, Step-douche”_ she says, looking left at David, I realise what he meant by looking after her, oh well, I’ll remember it next time.

_“It’s not Mr. Madsen, it’s Victoria Chase from Blackwell, we need you to meet us at The Two Whales”_

_“What makes you think I want to meet you at all?”_ She says with that shitty defiance of a teen against authority.

_“I don’t care, quit your fake punk bullshit and be an adult for once in your life”_ , I insult her as par the course and can feel the anger on the other side, well, in for a penny, in for a pound, _“What would Rachel think if she saw you now”._

It’s a low blow. The lowest I can think of, but it got her attention. And so, I hung up.

A challenge like that would be hard for someone like her to ignore, especially someone insulting her precious Rachel Amber.

Thursday 5th October 2013 – This Two Whales Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us, 1:26pm

We pull into the drive way of the Two Whales, Frank’s campervan is sat in the parking lot, parked at an awkward angle over several spaces. It’s a rough bump as Madsen goes over the curb, but we get there safe enough.

Our entrance causes a slight commotion, Joyce is clearly not expecting us, neither are the two truckers in the back, drinking coffee or the fisherman having lunch in one of the booths. I point to the back booth and tell Max to sit Kate down in the corner away from everyone. David is doing his best to calm down Joyce, to little effect but is clearly doing her best.

I have my own job to do. Frank is sat in his usual booth, by the corner nearest his van, a plate of beans sits on the table, he’s reading the local paper and hasn’t noticed us approach, his mind is in another place.

He looks up at me in shock as I sit down in front of him, _“Victoria?”_ he clearly wasn’t expecting to be interrupted, let alone by me of all people.

_“I need information”._

There’s no point beating around the bush with people like Frank, he appreciates brevity and I’m not in a mood to play games to begin with.

_“It’ll cost you”_ He says, poking his lunch with a fork, _“I don’t do anything for free”._

_“Not this time”,_ I say, _“You fucked up, or one of your friends did”,_ I pull out the phone bag and unlock Nathan’s phone, sliding the messages over to him.

He looks surprised, but not shocked, _“That’s me, what of it? He’s hardly my only customer, you should know that”._

I bristle at the comment, but continue regardless, _“For private use, yes, whatever you sold him wasn’t for him”,_ I lean back in the booth and swing my head around, David is still talking with Joyce, he’s been joined by Max, _“That’s Kate Marsh, in the back”,_ I point out the girl, currently curled up in a ball as if the seat would swallow her whole, _“Nathan drugged her with whatever you sold him then dragged her off to who knows where for the evening, I found her asleep outside her dorm room this morning with no memory past 10pm”._

Frank doesn’t look happy, but he doesn’t look convinced at this, before realisation hits him.

_“Motherfucker!!!”_ He shouts in anger, slamming his fist down on the table, his cup of coffee rattling as it threatens to topple over.

_“GHB”_ he says, “ _He wanted five grams of GHB at half ten, I didn’t know what for, he claimed that what I sold him wasn’t strong enough”._

_“How much did you sell him?”_ I don’t know how much five grams is in the grand scheme of things, but that is starting to seem like a dangerous amount.

_“3 grams, a few days ago, on the 30 th he wanted some, he said it was for his nerves and I never asked why”, _Frank says, before mumbling the word shit repeatedly as he realises how bad this all is starting to look.

_“He used 8 grams of GHB on her. Is that what your telling me?”_ I ask, wanting to confirm.

_“Fuck no”,_ he says definitively, _“He used that much, she’d be dead in a heartbeat, 3 grams is just under enough to cause unconsciousness”._

It takes a second, but the bright neon blue hair in the distance gets my attention, shit, Chloe. Then, Shit, Chloe.

_“Chloe… “_ I say to no-one in particular.

_“Chloe?”,_ Frank says confused, turning around in his chair looking out along the street, _“What about Chloe?”._

_“He drugged her too…”,_ He seems surprised.

_“What the fuck are you on about?”_

_“A photo… we found a photo in Nathan’s room, it must have been then. It’s why he wanted more this time”,_ while things are starting to make sense, other make less sense, if he used the 3 grams on Chloe, what did he use on Kate before Frank arrived at the party.

I’m busy thinking when all hell breaks loose.

Chloe opens the door, immediately spotting my in the corner with Frank, before she can come over, an insult already forming on her lips. David, Joyce and Max have already started a mix of greetings and orders to her, while Frank begins losing what control he had upon seeing her.

_“What the hell is your problem bitch!!!”_ she yells at me across the diner.

_“Chloe what are you doing here”_ Joyce asks confused.

_“Get over here right now young lady”_ David orders with all the comfort of an ice pick lobotomy.

_“Chloe?”_ Maxine asks, recognition flashing on her face.

_“Fuck, fuck, fuck”_ goes Frank on repeat.

Then the room devolves into shouting, those not involved quickly do their best to disappear from reality.

At the Price-Madsen’s begin shouting at one another.

Kate, clearly isn’t doing well with all the noise, so I do the first thing that comes to my head.

Grabbing the half empty cup of coffee, I stand up and throw it down on the ground, lukewarm coffee splashes on my leggings as the cup breaks into pieces, flying around the room. The loud crash of porcelain on linoleum silences to diner as all eyes turn to me, Joyce is about to shout at me, most likely telling me I’ll be paying for it.

_“Price, shut the fuck up and sit down next to Frank, we need to have a chat about the 30 th”, _for her benefit the bitch remains silent as she realises that I know what happened with her and Nathan. The other three think this is their time to get involved, not yet, _“Caulfield, Your friend looks like she is about to shatter like that cup of coffee, so maybe you should get on that, maybe get her something to eat, David, talk to your wife about what the hell is going on before I do it”,_ I may be half their age but everyone remains silent as Chloe sits down next to Frank and Max returns to Kate, quietly comforting her, Joyce walking over with a cup of something in her hand, motherly instincts taking over for the minute.

_“I’m not covering for your boyfriend Chase”_ Chloe pouts, defiance on her face, Frank has decided that his beans look very interesting all of a sudden.

_“Nathan deserves what’s coming to him”_ Is all I can say to that claim, the idea of us going out even before today was not something I’d ever consider.

_“What? Have a falling out?”_ She says snidely, thinking she’s found a weakness to exploit.

_“Would being a serial date rapist be enough for starters?”_ Is enough to shut her up, a reminder that I know.

_“How the hell do you know that?”_ She says angrily, doing her best to hide it from her mother and step-father.

_“He took pictures, we found one in his room earlier, he drugged Kate Marsh last night and it’s all started to come out since then”_ I say simply, having got her attention.

_“I want those pictures Chase”_ Still trying to hide what has happened, understandable in her position, I doubt I would want the world to know of something so personal that laid you open in such a way.

_“No, the authorities are getting involved, I’m not letting him get away with it”_ , how quickly I’ve turned on my closest friend, but what sympathy I had for him is long gone at this point, two girls at least.

But at my mention of the authorities both Frank and Chloe, turn their attention to me, both unwilling to get themselves involved if it means talking with the police.

_“Why the fuck would you do that”_ Frank angrily states, self-preservation kicking in.

 And there lies my trump card.

_“For Rachel Amber”_ Is all I say. Frank and Chloe look ready to strangle me at my mention her precious name.

_“How dare you bring her into this?”_ Frank says angrily, Chloe seems too furious to speak.

_“She been in this since she disappeared”_ I state as plainly as I can, _“Or do you think it’s a coincidence she disappears the day after a Vortex club party, what did you tell me a minute ago? 8 grams is enough to kill someone and 3 is too little, if little miss Price over here can remember”,_ I have no proof that Nathan is involved, but it’s just all adds up in the end.

That’s when it hits them. The idea that neither have been willing to accept, that she’s dead and has been for months. And it doesn’t matter, all that matters to them is as it has been since they met that bitch, they only care about her, even long after she’s dead.

_“Rachel… “,_ Is all they can say, neither of them coping with this news particularly well.

Joyce doesn’t look pleased with me, not happy with whatever I’ve told her daughter, another in a long list that hasn’t endeared me to her.

Thursday 5th October 2013 – People of Interest, 3:12pm

It’s just past three when my phone starts ringing, I woman on the other end identifies herself as Special Agent Carla Elias, telling me they are within five miles of Arcadia Bay.

It’s just passed ten past three, when I see a black government sedan pull into the parking lot of the two whales and two suit agents get out, both wearing blackish suits, a pair of shades on despite the weather turning a good hour ago.

We haven’t wasted the time we were given, Frank has gone through the records of every deal he’s made with Nathan going back a year and a half, GHB cropping up around every Vortex club party, Chloe has stuck by him, the pair of them wallowing in their loss of Rachel Amber.

Max and Kate haven’t moved from their seat, in the corner, Joyce coming over every few minutes to make sure everything is alright, refilling her cup without question. I’m not sure if she knows exactly what is going on, but she is doing her best. David and I have managed to gather every bit of evidence we could, Courtney and Taylor arrived around half an hour ago with everyone of import at the party and could be guaranteed to tell the truth.

By the time Special Agents Hersh and Elias enter the Two Whales, most of the work has already been done for them. If they are surprised by the what is waiting for them inside the Diner, they do not show it.

The male agent, Hersh, speaks first, _“I’m Special Agent Robert Hersh, this is my partner, Special Agent Carla Elias”_.

_“Which one of you called us earlier?”,_ The female agent asks.

I stick my hand up, _“It was me, I’m Victoria Chase”,_ I say walking over to the pair, the Diner’s eyes are all on us, the male agent looks around for a second, _“May we speak outside, Ms. Chase”_ he says, holding the door open for me.

Outside, the pair of them begin questioning me, _“You said you had evidence relating to Rachel Amber”_ Agent Hersh asks, _“Is that correct?”_.

_“Sort of… “_ I say.

_“Ms. Chase, we did not drive two hours for sort of”_ Agent Elias says, she seems friendlier than her partner, but she doesn’t sound equally pleased.

_“We think what happened here is related, we think Nathan Prescott killed her with an overdose of GHB at a Vortex Club party”,_ at this they become more intense.

_“Do you have proof of your claims?”_ Hersh asks, again asking for proof.

_“We have some eyewitnesses from last night…. “I_ begin.

“We do not care about last night, Ms. Chase, this seems to be a local matter as far as we are concerned” Elias states plainly, not pleased with what she sees as a bunch of teens crying wolf.

_“It was me”_ Frank sounds from the Diner entrance, surprising the three of us, _“I sold Nathan GHB the day before she disappeared, I didn’t think much of it and I didn’t want to tell anyone due to what I do, but he killed her, I know he did, he wasn’t the same after she disappeared and now I know why”,_ Frank says, getting what must have built for the past two hours off his chest.

Special Agent Elias sighs, turning to her partner, after a glance he sighs too, _“We’ll bite Ms. Chase, show us what you’ve got”._

I try to hide my smile, but I’m not sure it works, as I lead them back into the diner, Madsen has everything laid out on the diner top.

It’s a good half hour before they begin questioning everyone, going through the evidence we gathered with precision, countering everything we have, making sure it stands up. Within the first few minutes of showing them what we gathered, they had lightened up, seeing the pattern in front of them for what it was.

As they let people leave one by one, I feel confident for the first time that they believe what we are saying, as the female agent questions Kate with Max hovering over her shoulder, Hersh, the male one comes over the me and David.

_“Let’s say we believe you, which we currently can neither confirm nor deny, where do you think he would have gone?”_ Agent Hersh asks. I don’t know, not Blackwell, not home, for any stretch, but nowhere in particular.

_“A barn outside of town”_ David says, I turn in surprise, _“He’s been going to this barn outside of town semi-regularly for a while now, it’s probably worth checking out at the least”._

_“I’m not going to ask why you know that, if you can tell my colleague that information I’ll get a few of the local police to come with us to investigate this place”,_ he says turning to me, _“congratulations Ms. Chase, if this turns out to be correct, you’ll be on the front cover of every newspaper in the state”._

As Hersh leaves the diner, getting into his car, driving off down towards the Police station, his partner walks over to us, _“From what we have been told, we have a clear case of several felonies over multiple victims, and with enough eyewitness statements to arrest him on suspicion, I assume Hersh has gone to get the cavalry?”_ Elias asks, the both of us just nodding.

_“Good, while we go, I want you to stay here and stay safe”._

Thursday 5th October 2013 – The End of the Beginning, 4:36pm

It’s twenty minutes after the agents left with a police car behind them, a few officers in the back, racing out of town towards this barn out in the woods. Things are no less tense here however, Joyce is coping relatively well having found out what happened to her daughter and what could have happened if she wasn’t lucky.

Most of the people we had gathered have filtered out till it’s only the core group remaining, Taylor and Courtney wanted to stay, but they didn’t need to suffer alongside me until this is all dealt with.

Chloe for her part is sitting with Frank, both clearly hoping for the best, but neither doing it with much success. The same could be said for Kate & Max, Kate’s stress has moved from a nebulous anxiety over what she missed, replaced with a defined but not certain idea of what happened in those missing hours.

The diner is ultimately quiet, missing the usual buzz at this time of day. By this point Blackwell is likely going through a panic, Principal Wells and half the faculty trying to get ahead of this before our parents discover what’s happened and Blackwell goes down the toilet completely, funding drying up as they work out they sent their children to school with whatever Nathan was?

We sit waiting for a response, when an officer walks in and starts talking with David in private, whatever he’s saying doesn’t look positive, Madsen looking even grimmer as he hears whatever he is being told.

All I can do is focus to see if I can get even a hint about what the news could be, if it is even news at all, in the background the sound of a car pulling into the car park goes to the back of my mind, even as the engine roughly cuts out.

The doors clicks open, the room collectively looking to see who was entering now. Mr. Jefferson is standing at the second door frame, left hand on the knob, it takes a second to realise that there is something off. I cannot figure what this is until I see the gun in his right hand, and then I notice the blood, lightly flecked over the suit and feel a fool for not noticing it before.

Madsen and the officer seem to realise this as well, both drawing their guns to match Jefferson.

They are not quite fast enough, and I can’t quite hold back a scream of terror as I watch them both collapse to the ground as Jefferson pulls the trigger.

From the first shot, everyone froze up, unwilling to move or to draw attention, from by position I can see Joyce and Kate crying, Max holding on tight to her, doing her best to quiet her down. Behind me I can hear Frank swearing, Chloe quiet, each waiting to see what would happen.

Jefferson turns to me, anger in his eyes, _“You”_ he growls, “You _had to ruin everything, you attention grabbing bitch, nobody had to notice, just another girl crying wolf about a party. You were supposed to shut her up”._ He roughly grabs me by the collar and swings me round, sending me flying away from him.

I land roughly on the diner floor, sliding into one of the metal stools, a pain shooting up by entire left side.

_“And you”,_ he says noticing Kate, _“You weren’t supposed to remember a thing, a bad party experience and nothing more, but you couldn’t help yourself and see what you’ve caused, you did this.”_

I watch him walk past me, stepping over David Madsen, who is half conscious despite his bullet wound. Jefferson grabs Kate roughly by the arm, and starts wrestling her away from Max, who is doing her best to stop him, but it is a losing battle from that start.

_“You were such a beautiful subject last night, it’s a shame your modelling career was so short”_ Jefferson says, seemingly gloating, _“but for now, I need you if I’m going to leave the shit heap in peace”,_ finally managing to wrench her from Max.

I hear Madsen moan in pain again, and then I notice it, his gun, sitting forgotten a hand reach away from me, looking up I can see Jefferson still focused on Max, I slowly grab the weapon as not to get his attention.

I watch as he roughly hits Max with the back of his gun, she lands back in her seat, blood all over her forehead, she looks dazed and confused not realising where she is for a second, her mind trying to figure out what just occurred. It is then when Jefferson notices me, standing there open to me, he looks at me with that look of confidence I see in lesson, the one where he’s in control and he knows it.

_“What are you going to do Victoria, shoot me?”_ he says like I don’t have the guts.

And I think he’s right. I urge my finger to pull the trigger, but I can’t.

_“That’s what I thought”,_ he says when a smile, _“You just don’t have the conviction”._

And I look at Kate’s face. Poor Kate, pure terror on her face and it clicks that it’s only me, I let him leave with her and it’s all over. We lost. So, I shoot.

Jefferson looks so confused when he feels the first shot. I watch him look down at the wound not quite realising what has happened. He lets go of Kate, using his now free hand to feel the wound, his suit turning red as the blood seeps through.

With one last effort, he raises his gun at me, hand shaking as it barely manages to hold it straight, for a second I watch waiting for him to shoot, nothing happens as Jefferson stumbles back into the jukebox, the pistol slipping from his grip and clattering on the floor.

I watch as he slides down the jukebox, still looking like he can’t quite believe what has happened.

In the distance I can hear sirens, Joyce is on the phone, calling desperately for an ambulance as everyone rushes to help. I don’t remember when someone moves me, if it was five minutes or fifty before I am led into the back of an ambulance and taken to Arcadia Bay General.

Saturday 30th November 2013 – Epilogue

It’s almost a month since the truth came out. Mark Jefferson. The man who I looked up to the most turned out to be a murderer and a sociopath who regularly preyed on students, and Nathan Prescott, one my best friends who while a victim in his own way was his accomplice through so much of it. And why? I don’t know. We just don’t know.

Minutes after Jefferson arrived the FBI and the police returned, at the Barn they found a photo lab that matched Kate’s description perfectly, and with it they found Nathan’s body, Jefferson had killed him, for what, I can only assume anger at being caught, blaming it all on him.

He wasn’t entirely wrong. If not for Nathan, no-one would have known about any of this.

I still can’t help but feel responsible for Nathan, at least that’s what my therapist has been telling me, though she’s been silent on my lack of remorse for Mr. Jefferson. Whether she’s unwilling to address it yet or it’s a form of tacit approval.

The authorities have remained quiet on the subject as well. Beyond a short interview a few days afterward, I have only received a letter from them saying they are not pursuing a criminal case against me. I doubt it would be entirely popular, the news of such a crime in the heart of rural Oregon caught the world’s attention more than it should, reporters from a few dozen countries descending on Arcadia and the surrounding communities.

I thankfully managed to avoid the press, the local police holding a firm picket until my parents managed to evacuate me to Seattle.

Kate doesn’t appear to be as lucky, I see photos of her on the nightly news until I am banned from any form of it until the reporting has calmed down. I receive a message from Maxine, nearly a fortnight after the incident thanking me for what I did, telling me that Kate wants to get in touch to thank me personally and if I could give her my number. I don’t think much of it.

It’s a couple of days before she calls me, it’s late at night, the first minute is her apologising for bothering me at this ungodly hour, the rest of the call is her thanking me for what I did, it’s nearly two hours on by the time the call is over. By the end I had somehow agreed to meet in person.

That was how I found myself at the Marsh household, a week later, a duffle bag of clothes and toiletries. And from that I realised how badly Kate was doing, I had realised something was up as her calls turned into a regular occurrence. I was only at the Marsh’s for a couple of days, but I spent nearly all the time with Kate. Or more accurately, Kate spent it with me, attached onto me like a limpet until I got the train back to Seattle.

No-one questions when they re-open Blackwell Academy. The journalists having moved onto the fresh stories now that the questions had been answered, though from what I was told only half the student body were returning, most of them were locals in Arcadia Bay proper. It didn’t take much to convince my parents, to let me return, the days were spent doing little at all and the routine of Blackwell would help get me out of this funk while getting past any lingering issues I had with Mr. Jefferson, though I doubt if I’d ever return to the Two Whales despite being told I’d eat free from Max, who had already returned, rekindling an old friendship she had with Chloe Price of all people.

Convincing Kate’s parents is another issue entirely. Her mother unwilling to let her angel leave her sight for more than a minute, blaming Blackwell for almost killing her daughter. It takes Kate’s father and her therapist to get her to relent, both realising that the support network of her friends will help more than remaining cooped up at home.

I assumed. Well hoped, more accurately that things would be as they were before. Though I knew that would be impossible, I first notice it sat in the quad on my first day back, sat alone, I turn to talk to a ghost the quiet leaving me saddened when I remember he will never be there again. His funeral was a few weeks back, despite everything, I wanted to attend, pay what respects I could, that ended when I received a letter from his father in the post, saying he would remove me if I dared attend, the service happening at the Prescott Estate, he clearly blamed me for his son’s death. His sister was usually, far nicer, managing to sneak me in before she again returned to some far-flung country with the Peace Corps. Neither of us could work out what went wrong.

Though while Sean Prescott blamed me for Nathan, no-one else seemed to, though by this point the Vortex Club was no-more with most of the members failing to return and its part in Jefferson’s activities making it another victim of all this mess. Despite being one of the most important parts of my time at Blackwell, I didn’t feel sad to watch it go, maybe something good would come from its passing.

While Taylor & Courtney remain in touch, we are not as connected as we once were, both attending private schools closer to home finding new friends while the effects of a long-distance friendship take its toll. With it my time is mostly spent with Kate, the pair of us using the other for support. I would wonder why Caulfield wasn’t taking on that role, but it became clear when she and Chloe started seeing each other. Kate wasn’t willing to interrupt; the pair were far too focused on the other to notice.

And that I why on a Saturday, I am sat in Kate’s room, her rabbit sat on my lap while the little thing’s owner sits across from me, sketch pad in hand as she draws me again. Looking at the walls at many similar sketches, while things are somewhere in the between, it’s the littlest things that’ll lead us to a better place and a better time.


End file.
